Maluku's Giant Port Project to Absorb 6,000 Workers

The construction of the Maluku Integrated Logistic Hub (MILH) is projected to absorb around 5,000 to 6,000 new workers. The Maluku Provincial Government hopes the project can begin to be realised in 2027. Maluku Governor Hendrik Lewerissa said the job creation will not only come from port activities. The development of the surrounding economic and industrial zone is also expected to open up demand for new labour. “This is not just a port, but the surrounding economic zone will also develop,” Hendrik said in a statement received in Ambon on Thursday. According to Hendrik, the MILH is not designed merely as a place for ships to dock. The port will become the core infrastructure for the development of an integrated industrial and logistics zone. This concept is expected to generate new economic activity while increasing supply chain efficiency and strengthening logistics connectivity in Maluku. The economic impact of the MILH is also directed to reach other sectors growing around the area. Hendrik said the zone’s development will open opportunities for the growth of industrial, trade, service, and various supporting sector activities. Thus, the benefits of the development are expected not to stop at loading and unloading and port activities. The Maluku Provincial Government views the MILH as one of the strategic projects that can become a new driver for the regional economy. Hendrik even compared the project’s potential to the development of the Masela Block. “For the Maluku Provincial Government, this Maluku Integrated Logistic Hub is a kind of prime economic mover, just like the Masela Block,” Hendrik said. According to him, the presence of these two major projects could be a momentum for the transformation of Maluku’s economic structure. One of the expected impacts is the creation of jobs and the development of new business activities. “With the realisation of these two major projects in Maluku, it is hoped that Maluku’s transformation towards a more advanced and prosperous Maluku can be achieved,” he said.